WESTFIELD, Ind. – The No. 10 UIndy softball team (7-2) salvaged a split Saturday, taking down West Liberty, 13-2, after dropping a close one to in-region Northwood, 3-2. Junior Gianni Iannatone drove in a career-high five runs in the capper.

UIndy's games were just two of 10 DII softball contests hosted at Grand Park in Westfield, Ind., on Saturday.

GAME 1 | Northwood 3. UIndy 2
After trading single runs in the third inning, UIndy took its first lead when a Lucy Garrett sac fly plated Sydnie Foster to make it 2-1 Hounds.
 
Still up one, UIndy had a prime scoring chance in the fourth, leading off the inning with back-to-back singles. However a ground ball right to the third-base bag afforded the double play the Timberwolves (4-1) needed, as they would ultimately escape unscathed.
 
Northwood finally snatched the lead in the top of the sixth, molding a pair of walks, a triple and a wild pitch into a two-run rally.
 
Junior pitcher Hallie Waters (4-1) was saddled with her first loss of the season, as she was charged with all three runs while giving up five hits and four walks in five-plus inning of work.
 
GAME 2 | UIndy 13, West Liberty 2 (5 inn.)
Playing as the visitors in game two, UIndy surrendered two runs in the bottom of the first to dig an early hole. But the Hounds answered immediately with two runs in the second inning in what proved to be the first of fourth consecutive scoring frames.
 
The Greyhounds took the lead with a rare two-run sacrifice fly from Gianni Iannantone in the third. They tacked on a single tally in the fourth before blowing it open with an eight-run fifth inning. Iannantone, who sent a team-high 11 balls over the fences last year, recorded her first career inside-the-park homer in the fruitful fourth.
 
Meanwhile, junior Haylie Foster (1-0) made the most of her first start of the season in the circle. After giving up a two-run single in the first, the Plainfield, Ind., product retired to next nine batters she faced, the majority via soft groundouts.
 
Sophomore Amy Kaniewski tossed a scoreless fifth inning in her third relief appearance of the year.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Junior catcher Taylor Danielson was penciled into the leadoff spot in game two, marking the first time in her collegiate career she hit at the top of the lineup. She finished the game 1-for-2 with two walks, two runs and an RBI.
- Garrett, Iannantone and Emily O'Connor each recorded two hits in the capper.
- Despite the season-high 13 runs in game two, Iannantone's inside-the-parker and a double from Brooke Montgomery accounted for the Hounds' only extra-base hits in the contest.
 
UP NEXT
UIndy returns to Grand Park Sunday for a pair of in-region contests, starting with a matchup with Lake Erie College at 12 p.m. ET. Live stats will be available here.